1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for augmenting blood circulation in a limb of a patient. In particular, the invention relates to a boot for enhancing blood circulation in a foot which is subjected to severe frost bite.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Patients exposed to severe frost bite and other forms of injuries or illness that impair blood circulation in an injured limb need enhancement of the blood circulation in order to heal or in an extreme case save the limb and provide for a full recovery. Inadequate arterial blood flow in the injured limb can lead to such problems as pain upon exertion of the limb, slow healing of injuries, breakdown of soft tissue leading to slow healing of ulcers and in the extreme, gangrene with the result and need to amputate the injured limb.
Prior art methods of restoring full blood circulation to an injured limb include medication, massaging and applying warmth to the injured limb. However, these methods are of limited value in treating severe injuries, especially frostbite.
There are also a wide variety of devices in the prior art which are designed to assist blood circulation in an injured limb. Examples of such prior art devices include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,518 issued to Villanueva on Feb. 22, 1983 which discloses an electronic device for pneumomassage of the limb of a patient which includes a compressor for successively inflating and deflating in a rhythmic, preselected cycle inner and outer boots enveloping the limb; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,249 issued to Linman et. al. on Apr. 19, 1988 which discloses a method and apparatus for cyclically increasing both venous distention and transmural pressure in the capillaries in one or more of the patient's limbs.
While these and other devices of the prior art are satisfactory for their intended purpose of enhancing blood flow through an injured limb, these blood circulation enhancing devices generally do not function in synchronism with the patient's heart or major arteries to increase blood flow through the injured limb.
In addition, these prior devices are generally not designed to significantly increase or enhance arterial blood flow which is required to overcome the effects of frostbite to an injured limb.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for promoting and/or enhancing blood circulation within an injured limb.
It is another object of the present invention to provide for an apparatus which is capable of boosting blood circulation in a patient's limb without pain to the patient.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide for a blood circulation enhancing apparatus which is safe and simple to use and which is highly reliable, yet is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
These and other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.